Lock for trap type shot guns

ABSTRACT

Inserted into the receiving chamber of the lock (i.e., trigger, sear and hammer) of a trap type shotgun is an elongated U-shape housing having on the forward end a spring supported loading platform adapted to receive and temporarily carry a shotgun shell inserted through the uncovered ejection port when the breech bolt is retracted rearwardly into open position. Rearward movement of the bolt is simultaneously effective to engage and depress a spring-biased hammer pivotally mounted on the housing, the hammer including a notch for engagement with the latch hook of a sear rockably mounted on the housing. A spring-urged trigger has a portion overlying a flange on the sear so that actuation of the trigger moves the sear latch hook out of engagement with the hammer, thereby allowing the hammer to spring forwardly and strike the firing pin. A safety lever positively immobilizes the trigger in open bolt position and, for automatic shotguns, a bolt detent structure holds the bolt open after each shot until a shell is inserted and a separate trip lever is actuated so as to allow the bolt to close.

Unite Stats Patent [191 Smith 3,827 J71 Aug. 6, 1974 PrimaryExaminerSamuel Feinberg Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan Attorney, Agent,or FirmLothrop & West [57] ABSTRACT Inserted into the receiving chamberof the lock (i.e.,

trigger, sear and hammer) of a trap type shotgun is an elongated U-shapehousing having on the forward end a spring supported loading platformadapted to receive and temporarily carry a shotgun shell insertedthrough the uncovered ejection port when the breech bolt is retractedrearwardly into open position. Rearward movement of the bolt issimultaneously effective to engage and depress a spring-biased hammerpivotally mounted on the housing, the hammer including a notch forengagement with the latch hook of a scar rockably mounted on thehousing. A spring-urged trigger has a portion overlying a flange on thesear so that actuation of the trigger moves the sear latch hook out ofengagement with the hammer, thereby allowing the hammer to springforwardly and strike the firing pin. A safety lever positivelyimmobilizes the trigger in open bolt position and, for automaticshotguns, a bolt detent structure holds the bolt open after each shotuntil a shell is inserted and a separate trip lever is actuated so as toallow the bolt to close.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Pmmmmc 1 14 3,827,171

SHE? 1 (IF 3 PATENIEnAus 81974 sum 2 us 3 LOCK FOR TRAP TYPE SHOT GUNSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The rules of trap singles and handicapshooting require that only one shell at a time be loaded and fired, thusrequiring that the gun be manually loaded after the bolt is opened andthe discharged shell ejected through the port in the side of the triggerassembly receiving chamber.

For automatic shotguns, such as the Remington Model 1100, thegas-operated, self-loading feature not only opens the bolt and ejectsthe spent shell, but also automatically loads the next shell into thefiring chamber and closes the bolt, thereby readying the gun forimmediate firing. This feature does not conveniently allow the user toload manually after each round is fired, as is required by the trapsingles and handicap rules.

For pump type shot guns, such as the Remington Model 870, no problem ofsingle manual loading is presented since this is the manner in whichloading is customarily effected.

However, regardless of the type of shot gun used, either the RemingtonModel I 100," or the Remington Model 870, or indeed, any other shotgunexcept those of the very costliest varieties, (running in excess of1,000 to 1,200 dollars, or even more) the trap gun shooter is alwaysconcerned with instant sear release, crispness of vtrigger action, lackof creep and other factors which often tend to produce flinching andincrease lock time (interval between squeezing trigger and firing) andthus increase lead, with an attendant decrease in accuracy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to improvements in locksfor trap type shotguns, particularly with Remington Automatic ShotgunModel 1100 and Remington Pump Action Shotgun Model 870.

It is an object of the invention to provide a lock for trap typeshotguns in which the trigger is always in contact with the sear, thuseliminating creep, or slack, and thereby helping to stop flinching.

It is another object of the invention to provide a lock in which thetrigger has a very short and crisp pull to release the hammer; and inwhich the trigger pull can be adjusted to any pounds of pull desired bythe indi* vidual shooter; and in which the trigger is large enough tofeel comfortable to the shooter without the aid of a trigger shoe.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a lock having ahammer spring which is under extremely high tension when the hammer iscocked, thereby greatly reducing lock time.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a lock in whichthere is a trigger safety lever which automatically prevents the triggerfrom being pulled until the breech bolt is safely fully closed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a lock in which thegun is ready to fire when the breech bolt is closed, thereby eliminatinga possible penalty in competition for a lost target (target accidentallynot fired at), such as might be caused by inadvertent failure toinactivate the safety.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a lock whichblocks the shell magazine so that no shells can accidentally be loadedfrom the magazine.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a lock which isnot only relatively economical, but is rugged, durable, and long-lived,and which also quickly and efficiently converts Remington Models 870 and1100, for example, into single shot trap guns.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a lock which,when installed in a Remington Model 870 holds the bolt carrier closeduntil manually released, and in a Remington Model 1100 holds the breechbolt in open position after a shot is fired so that the shooter canmanually insert the next round and thereafter release the bolt bytripping a conveniently located lever adjacent the trigger guard.

It is another object of the invention to provide a generally improvedlock for trap type shotguns.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in theembodiments described in the following description and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded, top rear perspective view, showing a typicalreceiver, such as the receiver for a Remington Pump Action Shotgun Model870, together with a breech bolt and action bar structure, and with thelock and trigger mechanism of the invention below the receiverpreparatory to being inserted upwards into the receiver;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, median, sectional view of the trigger assemblyshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the position of thesafety lever and trigger in safety condition;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view, to an enlarged scale,showing the locking engagement be tween the dog on the forward end ofthe safety lever and the after end of the action bar, effective to holdthe breech bolt closed until after firing, at which time the dog isdisengaged by tripping the release lever;

FIG. 5 is a view comparable to FIG. 2 but looking in the oppositedirection, and showing a modified form of device for particular use witha Remington Automatic Shotgun Model 1100 and with the hammer cocked;and,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of theFIG. 5 form of device, showing the breech bolt dog in engagement withthe breech bolt carrier, thereby holding the bolt open to allow manualloading of a single shell in the Model 1100.

While the lock and trigger mechanism of the invention is susceptible ofnumerous physical embodiments, depending upon the environment andrequirements of use, substantial numbers of the herein shown anddescribed embodiments have been made, tested, sold and used, and allhave performed in an eminently satisfactory manner.

The first form of the lock of the invention is for particular use with aRemington Model 870 pump action type of shotgun and appears most clearlyin FIGS. 1-3, being generally designated by the reference numeral 12.

The lock and trigger assembly 12 is so constructed that it can readilybe substituted for the factory assembled structure with which the Model870 is provided at the time of purchase, the same pins and openings inthe receiver 13 being utilized.

The device comprises an elongated, U-shaped in transverse sectionhousing 14, extending from a forward end 16 to an after end 17. Thehousing includes a floor 18, a left-hand side wall 19 and a right-handside wall 21 defining an elongated channel 22. The housing 14 snuglyfits in the trigger assembly receiver 13, being secured therein by pinsextending through openings 23 and 24 in the receiver and throughrespective pairs of openings 25 and 26 in the side walls. All of theopenings 25 and 26 are provided with O-rings 27.

Adjacent the forward end 16 of the housing is a loading platform 31, orshell carrier, comprising a pair of vertical side plates 32 spanning thefore and aft channel 22 and being pivotally mounted on a cross-pin 33mounted in the side walls 19 and 21. A cradle-shaped tongue 34, or tray,extends forwardly from the side plates 32 and the entire shell carrieris urged into an upper, base position by a spring wire 36 encompassingand retained by a cross pin 37, the spring 36 receiving its purchase byabutment of one end 38 against the housing floor 18. The other end 39 ofthe spring 36 bears upwardly against the bottom of the platform 31, asappears most clearly in FIG. 2. A limit stop is provided by the upperand lower end walls of a pair of ar cuate slots 40 in the side plates32, the slots enclosing the cross pin 37.

The shell carrier 31 serves, in well-known fashion, to support a liveshell inserted through the ejection port 41 in the receiver 13 after thebreech bolt 42 is retracted rearwardly into open position. Then, whenthe breech bolt is translated forwardly into ready position, the shellsupported on the carrier 31 is urged into the shell chamber ready forfiring.

Aft of the carrier 31 is the hammer mechanism 43 including a hammer 44pivotally mounted on a cross pin 46 spanning the side walls 19 and 21.In customary fashion, the hammer 44 includes an arcuately con-- touredcamming surface on its forward edge. The surface 45 is engaged by thebreech bolt carrier as the breech bolt is opened, causing the hammer 44to pivot rearwardly and downwardly in opposition to wire spring 47encompassing the pivot pin 46 and having its purchase end 48 anchored ina recess 49 in the floor 18 while its biasing end 51 is transverselybent to lodge in a retention are 52 formed in the base of the hammer.

The arcuate surface 45 also serves to strike the guns firing pin whenthe cocked hammer is released from engagement with a sear 56 pivotallymounted on a cross pin 57 spanning the side walls 19 and 21.

The upper forward end of the sear 56 is provided with a latch 58, orhook, contoured with extreme precision so as to engage a correspondinghook 59 formed by a notch 61 in the hammer 44. The respective hookcontours and extent and manner of engagement are established with greatcare so that while the sear will not prematurely release the hammer,such as by a jar to the gun, it will immediately let go of the hammerwhen the trigger 63 is pulled.

Rearward movement of the trigger 63, disposed within the customarytrigger guard 64 causes the forward end 66, or tip, of a fore and afttrigger lever 67 on top of the trigger 63 to tilt downwardly about thetransverse pin 68 as a pivot. The after rearwardly jutting after end 69of the trigger lever 67 is resiliently maintained in position by aspring 70 so that the forward end 66 of the trigger lightly touches thesubjacent flange 71 projecting rearwardly from the bottom of the sear56. The trigger pivot pin 68 spans the side walls of a trigger well 72formed in the floor 18 of the housing.

Urging the sear flange 71 in an upward direction into light engagementwith the superposed tip 66 of the trigger is a spring 73. As appearsmost clearly in FIG. 2, when the trigger 63 is pulled, thereby urgingthe tip 66 downwardly against the sear flange 71, the upward forceexerted by the sear spring 73 is overcome and the sear latch hook 58 ismoved toward the rear, thereby disengaging the hook 59 in the cockedhammer 44 and allowing the very strong hammer spring 47 to take chargeand swiftly impel the hammer forwardly against the firing pin 60, thusfiring the gun.

After the gun is fired, the breech bolt 42 is opened, by pump action inthe case of a Model 870" and automatically by a Model 1 100 (usingpartially spent gas pressure). In either case, the empty shell isdischarged outwardly through the ejection port 41 as the breech bolt 42retracts. Concurrently, the engagement of the rearwardly moving breechbolt carrier 50 with the camming surface 45 of the elevated hammer 44overcomes the strong force of the hammer spring 47 and pivots the tipend of the hammer rearwardly and downwardly into engagement with the tipend of the sear, thereby tilting the upper end of the sear slightlytoward the rear, against the opposing urgency of the sear spring 73,until the hammer hook 59 engages the latch hook 58 of the sear. There-cocked hammer is then ready to be released by the next pull of thetrigger and thereby fire the gun.

In order to prevent premature trigger release, a safety lever 74 isprovided. The safety lever 74 is an elongated member pivotally mountedon the hammer shaft 46 and extends rearwardly from a forward transversedog 75 located a short distance above the subjacent upper edge 76 of thevertical wall 19.

When the breech bolt 42 is opened, by pulling aft on the fore endassembly (not shown), a pair of action bars, namely, a left-hand actionbar 77 and a right-hand action bar 78, and an associated breech boltcarrier 50, are moved rearwardly. As will subsequently be explained arelease lever 89 is tripped when the breech bolt is to be opened, thetripping action serving to depress the transverse forward dog 75 and theforward portion 80 of the safety lever 74 downwardly against the upwardurgency of the safety lever spring 82, which is anchored in an openingin the upper portion of the left-hand side wall 19.

As the two action bars, the breech bolt carrier and the breech boltcontinue moving rearwardly to their fully open position, the lower edge83 of the left-hand action bar 77 slides along on top of the dog 75,thereby keeping the dog 75 and the foward lever portion 80 in depressedposition.

Concurrently, the after portion 84 of the safety lever 74 pivotsupwardly about the hammer shaft 46 as a pivot; and an inwardly orienteddog 86 at the aftermost end of the safety lever 74, underlying theforward projection of the trigger lever 67, elevates the forward end ofthe trigger, thereby lifting the trigger tip 66 upwardly out ofengagement with the subjacent sear flange 71.

In other words, so long as the bolt is open and the left-hand action bar77 overlies and holds down the forward dog 75 of the safety lever 74,the after dog 86 of the safety lever holds the trigger upwardly, spacedsafely above the sear flange, so that the trigger mechanism isimmobilized.

After a live shell is inserted through the ejection port 41 and onto theshell carrier 31, the bolt is closed by forward movement of the fore endassembly (not shown). Just as the after end of the left-hand action bar77 is about to clear the forward dog 75, as appears most clearly in FIG.4, the upward urgency of the safety lever spring 82 biases the dog 75upwardly into the precisely machined notch 87 in the after end of theleft-hand action bar 77, thereby correspondingly lowering the aftermostdog 86 and allowing the compression spring 70 below the after projection69 of the trigger lever 67 to return the forward tip 66 of the triggerlever into light, touching engagement with the underlying flange 71connected to the sear 56.

At this juncture, a pull on the trigger 63 will tilt the sear latch outof engagement with the hammer hook and allow the hammer to swingforwardly into abutment with the firing pin 60, thereby firing theshell.

The forward dog 75 and the notch 87 are so configured, as appears inFIG. 4, that the dog 75 securely retains the action bar 77, and thus theassociated breech bolt assembly, in position as firing occurs. Thebreech bolt is thereby held in place against accidental opening untilmanually released, as previously indicated, by tripping the releaselever 89 which is pivotally mounted on a cross pin 91 spanning a well 92in the housing floor (see FIG. 2). The top surface 93 of the releaselever 89 engages the bottom edge of the after portion 84 of the pivotedsafety lever. Thus, by tripping the release lever 89, as by pullingrearwardly on its depending triggerlike portion 94, the forward dog 75is depressed, thereby disengaging the notch 87 in the after end of theleft-hand action bar 77 and allowing the breech bolt to be opened by theusual pump action of the-fore end assembly.

As the breech bolt 42 opens, the release lever 89 can be let go of sincethe lower edge 83 of the left-hand action bar 77 holds down the forwarddog 75 and concurrently holds up the after dog 86, thereby keeping thetrigger immobilized in elevated position, safely spaced above the searflange 71. As the breech bolt moves rearwardly past the ejection port41, the spent shell is ejected, thereby completing the cycle. The newcycle is commenced by inserting a live shell through the port 41 ontothe shell carrier 31.

Reference is now had to the form of lock disclosed most clearly in FIGS.5 and 6, this being the type used in a Remington Automatic Shotgun Model1 100 and differs from the Model 870" form of lock previously describedin only a few particulars. Consequently, elements which are common toboth forms will be designated by the same reference numerals.

The Model 1100 form of lock now to be described does not have the sameconfiguration as the forward transverse dog 75 of the Model 870 lock andno corresponding action bar notch 87 is provided, the reason being thatin the Model 1 100 the breech bolt and attendant structure automaticallyremains closed as the shell is fired.

However, the modified form of transverse dog 96 as used in the Model 1100 serves, as before, to elevate the trigger above the sear flange andthus immobilize the trigger when the bolt is open. In other words, asthe shell is fired in the automatic Model 1100 a portion of the spentgases serve to retract the breech bolt at the appropriate time. As theleft-hand action bar 90 retracts, it abuts and depresses'downwardly theforward dog 96 which is then held down by the superposed bottom edge ofthe action bar. Concurrently, the after dog 86 elevates and safelyimmobilizes the trigger 63, as previously explained.

Since there is no need for a manual release lever 89 to depress theforward dog, to allow the bolt to be opened, as is the case for the pumpaction Model 870, no such release is provided in the Model 1 form ofdevice.

However, since an automatic type of shotgun will ordinarily return tobattery, i.e., to firing position, of its own accord, under urgency of aclosing spring, it is necessary to provide means for convenientlyholding open the breech bolt until a live shell is manually insertedthrough the port 41 onto the shell carrier 31, at which juncture thehold open means can be deactivated and the breech bolt allowed to close.

Consequently, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a breech bolt carrier detentmechanism, or bolt carrier dog, generally designated by the referencenumeral 97, is utilized.

The mechanism 97 includes a generally L-shaped lever 98, in the natureof a bell-crank, pivotally mounted on the sear cross pin 57, or searshaft, the lever extending forwardly and downwardly to a location spacedslightly above the floor 18, at which location an arm 99 projectsforwardly above a well 100 formed in the floor. Pivotally mounted on atransverse cross pin 101 spanning the well 100 is a bolt carrier releaselever 102, the top edge 103 of which underlies the forward arm 99 of thebell-crank shaped lever 98.

The after portion 104 of the lever 98 extends upwardly and rearwardlyand terminates in a somewhat rounded dog 106 adapted to lodge, at theappropriate juncture, in a corresponding recess 107 in the breech boltcarrier 108. A spring 109 retained on a pin 111 is anchored at one endon the housing floor 18 and at the other end bears forwardly against theback edge of the after portion 104 of the lever 98.

When the breech bolt and the bolt carrier are impelled rearwardly afterthe Model 1100 is fired the spent shell is ejected through the port 41as the breech bolt and the carrier travel rearwardly to the full limitof their stroke, as shown in broken line in FIG. 6. In so doing, thebottom surface 112 of the bolt carrier 108 wipes over the tip 106, ordog, of the lever 98 and causes the lever to pivot in a clockwisedirection, as appears in FIGS. 5 and 6, in opposition to the forwardurgency of the spring 109.

The recess 107 also passes directly over and slightly beyond the dog 106on the after tip end of the lever as the carrier proceeds to the rear toits maximum extent, prior to reversing direction so as to moveforwardly, under spring force, to base, or closed, position. Shortlyafter the direction reversal takes place, and the carrier is justbeginning to gain momentum, the detent mechanism 97 takes effect. Inother words, just as the recess 107 begins to pass over the dog 106,just after the carrier starts its return forward motion, the upwardlyand rearwardly oriented dog 106, being spring-biased in an upward sense,substantially instantaneously projects upwardly into and lodges in therecess 107 in the bottom of the carrier 108, thereby detaining thecarrier in fixed position so that a single live shell can convenientlybe introduced through the port 41 on to the loading platform 31. Afterthe shell is inserted, the release lever 102 can be tripped, by pullingback on the depending trigger portion, thereby pivotally lowering thedog 106 out of the recess 107 and allowing the carrier to returnforwardly to base position. After the car rier moves forwardly beyondthe dog 106, and the lever 102 is released, the spring 109 returns thedetent mechanism 97 to base position, preparatory to beginning the nextcycle.

As will be recognized by one skilled in the art, it can be seen (both inconnection with the pump action Model 870 and the automatic Model 1100)that locks of the present invention are located so as to block the gunmagazines (not shown). As a consequence, any shells inadvertently leftin the magazine cannot be transferred to the firing position such asmight otherwise happen in the excitement of competition and where thepresent locks are not employed.

It can therefore be seen that I have provided a lock which is not onlycompatible with existing shotguns of both the pump action and automatictypes, and which affords numerous safety and fool-proof features, butwhich also greatly improves performance, it having been determined thatas much as a 40 percent improvement in lock time can readily be achievedby using locks constructed in accordance with the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Lock for trap-type shot guns including a trigger plate assemblyreceiver, a breech bolt, a firing pin, a breech bolt carrier, a pair ofaction bars and a shell chamber, said lock comprising:

a. an elongated, U-shaped in transverse section housing extending froman after end to a forward end and including a horizontal floor and apair of vertical side walls defining an elongated channel, said housingbeing snugly receivable in the trigger plate assembly receiver;

b. a hammer shaft transversely spanning said channel and mounted on saidside walls;

c. a hammer pivotally mounted at one end on said shaft, said hammerincluding a hook adjacent the other end;

(1. a spring mounted on said housing and engaging said hammer, saidspring being effective to bias said other end of said hammer from alowered cocked position toward an elevated released position, therebystriking and actuating the firing pin;

e. a sear shaft transversely disposed in said channel adjacent the afterend of said channel and mounted on said side walls; a sear pivotallymounted on said sear shaft, said sear including a latch on one endcapable of engaging said hammer hook in the lowered cocked position ofsaid hammer, and a flange on the other end, said flange extendingrearwardly in a substantially horizontal direction and spaced above saidfloor;

g. spring means on said housing engaging said sear, said spring meansbeing effective to urge said flange in an upward direction away fromsaid floor and bias said sear latch into engagement with said hammerhook;

h. a trigger rockably mounted on said housing, said trigger including aforward trigger tip overlying said flange of said sear, and a dependingtrigger pull;

i. trigger biasing means on said housing engaging said trigger, saidbiasing means being effective to maintain said forward tip of saidtrigger in light touching engagement with said sear flange, the forceexerted by said trigger at the time of firing being sufficient todepress said trigger tip against said flange and thereby pivot said searlatch out of engagement with said hammer hook to release said hammer;

j. a spring-urged shell carrier pivotally mounted on said housingforwardly from'said hammer, said carrier being capable of supporting ashell prior to insertion into the shell chamber;

k. an elongated fore and aft safety lever pivotally mounted on saidhammer shaft, said safety lever including a forward portion terminatingat the forward end in a transverse projection spaced above the subjacentone of said side walls for camming engagement with the adjacentsuperposed action bar as the breech bolt is retracted into openposition;

. a safety lever biasing spring on said housing urging said forwardportion of said lever in an upward direction;

m. said safety lever also including a rearwardly extending portionterminating in an after lateral projection underlying the forward end ofsaid trigger, the action bar being effective to cam said forwardtransverse projection downwardly and correspondingly to move said afterlateral projection upwardly against the forward end of said trigger,thereby moving said trigger upwardly into immovable position spacedabove said sear flange, said safety lever being disengaged from theaction bar as the breech bolt is returned forwardly to firing position,thereby allowing said lever biasing spring to pivot said after lateralprojection downwardly away from said trigger, said trigger biasing meansbeing thereupon effective to urge said after lateral projection of saidsafety lever downwardly and to return said forward tip end of saidtrigger into light touching engagement with said flange of said sear,said forward transverse projection on said safety lever concurrentlybeing elevated by said lever biasing spring into uppermost position.

2. A gun lock as in claim 1 wherein said forward transverse projectionof said safety lever is shaped to conform to a corresponding notchformed in the after end of said adjacent action bar, and wherein saidforward transverse projection is lodged in said notch with said forwardtransverse projection in said uppermost position and with the breechbolt and action bar in forwardmost closed position, said breech bolt andsaid action bar being thereby locked in closed position as firingoccurs.

3. A gun lock as in claim 2 further including a trip lever rockablymounted on said housing, said trip lever including a lower fingerengageable portion and an upper camming surface underlying saidrearwardly extending portion of said safety lever, said trip lever beingcapable of elevating said rearwardly extending lever portion andcorrespondingly depressing said forward transverse projection out ofengagement with said notch in the action bar, thereby releasing theaction bar and allowing the breech bolt to be opened.

4. A gun lock as in claim 1 further including an elongated fore and aftbreech bolt detent centrally pivoted on said sear shaft, said detentincluding a forwardly and downwardly extending tongue portion locatedadjacent said floor and an upwardly projecting dog capable of therebyallowing the breech bolt to return to closed position.

5. A gun lock as in claim 4 in which said camming surface of saidrelease lever protrudes upwardly through a slot in said floor and theforward end of said tongue overlies and lightly engages said cammingsurface for elevation thereby as said release lever is actuated.

1. Lock for trap-type shot guns including a trigger plate assemblyreceiver, a breech bolt, a firing pin, a breech bolt carrier, a pair ofaction bars and a shell chamber, said lock comprising: a. an elongated,U-shaped in transverse section housing extending from an after end to aforward end and including a horizontal floor and a pair of vertical sidewalls defining an elongated channel, said housing being snuglyreceivable in the trigger plate assembly receiver; b. a hammer shafttransversely spanning said channel and mounted on saId side walls; c. ahammer pivotally mounted at one end on said shaft, said hammer includinga hook adjacent the other end; d. a spring mounted on said housing andengaging said hammer, said spring being effective to bias said other endof said hammer from a lowered cocked position toward an elevatedreleased position, thereby striking and actuating the firing pin; e. asear shaft transversely disposed in said channel adjacent the after endof said channel and mounted on said side walls; f. a sear pivotallymounted on said sear shaft, said sear including a latch on one endcapable of engaging said hammer hook in the lowered cocked position ofsaid hammer, and a flange on the other end, said flange extendingrearwardly in a substantially horizontal direction and spaced above saidfloor; g. spring means on said housing engaging said sear, said springmeans being effective to urge said flange in an upward direction awayfrom said floor and bias said sear latch into engagement with saidhammer hook; h. a trigger rockably mounted on said housing, said triggerincluding a forward trigger tip overlying said flange of said sear, anda depending trigger pull; i. trigger biasing means on said housingengaging said trigger, said biasing means being effective to maintainsaid forward tip of said trigger in light touching engagement with saidsear flange, the force exerted by said trigger at the time of firingbeing sufficient to depress said trigger tip against said flange andthereby pivot said sear latch out of engagement with said hammer hook torelease said hammer; j. a spring-urged shell carrier pivotally mountedon said housing forwardly from said hammer, said carrier being capableof supporting a shell prior to insertion into the shell chamber; k. anelongated fore and aft safety lever pivotally mounted on said hammershaft, said safety lever including a forward portion terminating at theforward end in a transverse projection spaced above the subjacent one ofsaid side walls for camming engagement with the adjacent superposedaction bar as the breech bolt is retracted into open position; l. asafety lever biasing spring on said housing urging said forward portionof said lever in an upward direction; m. said safety lever alsoincluding a rearwardly extending portion terminating in an after lateralprojection underlying the forward end of said trigger, the action barbeing effective to cam said forward transverse projection downwardly andcorrespondingly to move said after lateral projection upwardly againstthe forward end of said trigger, thereby moving said trigger upwardlyinto immovable position spaced above said sear flange, said safety leverbeing disengaged from the action bar as the breech bolt is returnedforwardly to firing position, thereby allowing said lever biasing springto pivot said after lateral projection downwardly away from saidtrigger, said trigger biasing means being thereupon effective to urgesaid after lateral projection of said safety lever downwardly and toreturn said forward tip end of said trigger into light touchingengagement with said flange of said sear, said forward transverseprojection on said safety lever concurrently being elevated by saidlever biasing spring into uppermost position.
 2. A gun lock as in claim1 wherein said forward transverse projection of said safety lever isshaped to conform to a corresponding notch formed in the after end ofsaid adjacent action bar, and wherein said forward transverse projectionis lodged in said notch with said forward transverse projection in saiduppermost position and with the breech bolt and action bar inforwardmost closed position, said breech bolt and said action bar beingthereby locked in closed position as firing occurs.
 3. A gun lock as inclaim 2 further including a trip lever rockably mounted on said housing,said trip lever including a lower finger engageable portion and an uppercamming surface underlying said rearwardly extending portion of saidsafety lever, said trip lever being capable of elevating said rearwardlyextending lever portion and correspondingly depressing said forwardtransverse projection out of engagement with said notch in the actionbar, thereby releasing the action bar and allowing the breech bolt to beopened.
 4. A gun lock as in claim 1 further including an elongated foreand aft breech bolt detent centrally pivoted on said sear shaft, saiddetent including a forwardly and downwardly extending tongue portionlocated adjacent said floor and an upwardly projecting dog capable ofengaging and retaining the breech bolt in open position; spring means onsaid housing urging said dog upwardly and simultaneously urging saidtongue portion downwardly against said floor; and a release leverpivotally mounted on said housing, said release lever including acamming surface engageable with the bottom of said tongue, the cammingsurface being effective to elevate said tongue and correspondinglydisengage said dog from said bolt as said release lever is actuated,thereby allowing the breech bolt to return to closed position.
 5. A gunlock as in claim 4 in which said camming surface of said release leverprotrudes upwardly through a slot in said floor and the forward end ofsaid tongue overlies and lightly engages said camming surface forelevation thereby as said release lever is actuated.